Orthodontic braces are designed to align and straighten teeth and position the teeth in regard to a person's bite as a result of force and pressure on the teeth. The primary components needed to help move the teeth, in the case of traditional metal or wire braces, are brackets, bonding material, an arch wire, and ligature elastic, otherwise known as an “O-ring.” Over a period of time, the teeth move when the arch wire exerts pressure on the brackets and teeth. At times, additional force may be applied in specific directions by using springs or rubber bands. Although braces are an effective tool for ultimately aligning and straightening teeth, some patients are hesitant to employ braces due to financial constraints, the known discomfort and unfavorable appearance of braces, and undergoing the braces process typically taking approximately two and a half years before the braces are removed.
Efforts have been made to minimize the discomfort and unfavorable appearance. Outside the pressure that braces place on a patient's teeth, discomfort is primarily caused by the brackets and the end of the arch wire, each typically causing irritation to the lips, cheeks, gums, and/or tongue and sometimes causing mucosal ulceration. However, the efforts proposed to overcome the discomfort of braces or unfavorable appearance require bracket appliances only employable over specialized brackets, an orthodontist to properly position the appliance over the bracket or arch wire, and appliances that interfere with the arch wire. These issues result in inefficiencies to the patient and are costly.
In addition, due to various factors, such as poor teeth maintenance, limited dentistry and/or orthodontic work, many individuals face issues of tooth loss or the like. Tooth loss is highly conspicuous and unsightly and, due to financial constraints, often times cannot be fixed or addressed appropriately. These individuals may want a temporary resolve that will minimize the unsightly and conspicuous nature of tooth loss.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop an orthodontic appliance that can be positioned by oneself over a bracket or arch wire that also minimizes patient discomfort and minimizes the unfavorable appearance of braces. It would also be advantageous for the orthodontic appliance to be adaptable to most any sized bracket while not interfering with the arch wire. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a device and method that will minimize issues of tooth loss or unsightly teeth.